If you have the opportunity, you should
watch a videotape of your appearance yesterday on "Meet the Press." You may
have thought you came across as a no-nonsense, man-of-the-world, laughing off
arguments having to do with the Constitution and announcing that a
felonious perjury does not rise to the level of impeachment. To me, you seemed
oddly clownish, babbling as if you were in a comedy skit. You should watch the
face of your Democratic colleague, Sen. Joseph Lieberman of Connecticut, as
you babbled on about how the President is innocent of the articles of
impeachment sent by the House and you, by God, are going to vote for acquittal
as soon as Supreme Court Chief Justice William Rehnquist swears you in as an
impartial juror. I mean, Senator, Lieberman's eyes bugged out. He is trying to
work out some sort of deal with Republican Sen. Slade Gorton of Washington
that would enable nervous Senators to avoid voting on whether a felon belongs
in the Oval Office. He has the best intentions, but when he eyeballed you
doing the clown bit, Here come de Judge. I think he must have
wondered if he is doing the right thing.

Pardon me, Senator, but with
all due respect, I understand you are the ranking Democrat on the Judiciary
Committee, which suggests you should be judicious at a time of the trial of
the century — which is how Sen. Arlen Specter [R-PA] sees it. It does not rise
to the level of the impeachment of Socrates, but Arlen is right about this
century. It does put us at a cultural divide or crossroad, and it should not
be trivialized. If the nation is going to move out of the era of anything-goes
permissiveness, which was ushered in by the years of war and inflation, we
have to make it absolutely clear that the President cannot commit a felonious
act and simply say, "The devil made me do it." Senator Lieberman is a
religious man, and as such he will always be at the forefront of the
forgiveness and reconciliation line. But I assure you he was pushed to the end
of his tether by the President's Rose Garden performance, celebrating his
impeachment. It suggests to him that if there is no up-and-down vote on
whether perjury rises to the level of misdemeanor or impeachment, William
Jefferson Clinton will throw a huge White House party to celebrate his
acquittal. Barbra Streisand will sing a song, Jesse Jackson will say a prayer,
Mephistopheles will serve the appetizers, and Lucifer the dessert.

Now
Senator, I have to keep reminding people, so I will remind you, that I spent
1998 defending the President... and I continue to defend him until there is a
trial and a vote of conviction or acquittal. If the President's lawyers can
persuade the Senate that he is innocent of the articles of impeachment, I
would be happy to come to a celebratory dinner at the White House, although I
think I will bring my own very long spoon. My advice to you is to take all
this seriously. You are still a relatively young man with a long way to go in
the Senate limelight. You have to consider the possibility that the people of
Delaware will ponder your behavior and will wonder about it as I did in
watching you on Sunday's show.